My views of the role of the teacher librarian (TL) have changed as my knowledge of the role expanded to include such concepts as evidence based practice, collaboration, principal support, time management, conflict resolution skills and much, much more! Most importantly I have come to realise that it is not enough for a TL to encourage a love of reading. It has become critical for the TL to implement an information literacy (IL) program to ensure students learn the IL skills to enable them to find and use information effectively.

I never just thought, “All Librarians Do Is Check Out Books, Right? (Purcell, 2010, p30). I also thought TLs encouraged children’s love of reading, ordered, accessioned and shelved books, exposed children to different genres and taught ‘research skills’ to students. I believed the job was mainly about fostering the love of reading. I agreed with Catherine Nunan (24/02/11, ETL 401 Messages) when she wrote, - “I am excited about starting my TL studies as I love books and sharing that love with children.”

Like Jaclyn Green (25/02/11, ETL 401 Messages ) “I enrolled in my Masters and have realised what vast gaps there are in my information technology skills”! Having never used a database in my life, I launched myself into a crash course on how to use them. “I found the EBSCO tutorial much easier to follow than the INFORMIT tutorial.” (Fisher, 14/03/11 Topic 1 Subforum). Mare Maticevski (25/02/11, Topic 1 Subforum) summed up how I felt about my new skills, “ I love that I now know how to be more specific, where to go, what fields to enter and how to hone in very specifically to access articles of relevance.”

On the forum I read that it was useful to create a folder on the databases. Initially, (Fisher, 14/03/11 Topic 1 Subforum), my reaction was, “I'm not convinced I will use folders much”. Before too long I was back online posting, (Fisher, 15/03/11 Topic 1 Subforum) “I take it all back! Have successfully created a folder and have decided it's a great idea!!!” I had not realised that teaching children how to access and use databases effectively could be so important.

I am now staggered by the complexities of the TL role. I thought of ‘management’ as managing people. I never for a moment thought that it could also mean managing myself! Samantha Spano, (17/05/11, Topic 6 Subforum) stated “The one term that involves management that I found especially important was that of time management”. Strategies such as “the four criteria for successful time management: •Decide what to do •Start it •Finish it •Accept it” (Urquhart, 17/05/1, Topic 6 Subforum ) and “the idea of working on a project everyday from the day after you have found out about it” (Fisher, 19/03/11, Lifelong Learning Blog)- were an epiphany to me. These essential time management practices have changed the way I work.

It is obvious that conflict can have negative results but I had not realised the importance for the TL of negotiation and conflict resolution. “I was surprised that conflict can actually have positive outcomes”, (Fisher, 19 /03/11, Lifelong Learning Blog), offering “opportunities for change, for people to adapt and grow” (Sanders, 2004, p127). Importantly, to enable the process of conflict resolution to have a positive outcome I learnt that, "negotiation requires preparation" (Fisher, 19 /03/11, Lifelong Learning Blog).

Before enrolling at CSU I had never heard of TL ‘Standards’. Analyzing the Standards made me realize how extensive the role of the TL is. I did feel however, “there was a danger of teachers being overwhelmed and demoralized because they are standards of excellence –and therefore not easy to achieve.” (Fisher, 24 /04/11, Lifelong Learning Blog). I found it illuminating when Judy O’Connell (10/03/11, Topic 2 Subforum) described the “professional standards as the overarching framework for the purpose of our work.”

I believed I understood the role of principal support. “I think it is fairly obvious that principal support is linked to the effectiveness of the TL.” (Fisher, 22/03/11, Lifelong Learning Blog). I hadn’t realised just how isolated the TL could be, however, and I had to consider the implications this had for principal support. I also hadn’t realised the extent to which principal support was important to the success of the TL’s role in a school. “Teacher Librarians have to be proactive, we have to engage people and we have to have outstanding interpersonal skills. We have to be someone the principal WANTS to support!” (Fisher, 22/03/11, Lifelong Learning Blog).

I vaguely understood that the TL role included IL, what I didn’t realise was how essential these skills were for students. I knew that the TL collaborated with classroom teachers to support teachers with resources. I didn’t realise that it is also considered best practice to collaboratively plan and deliver units of work (linked to the curriculum) incorporating IL skills and that TLs must be IL leaders within their school.

“I am beginning to realise what a wonderful network it is belonging to a group of TLs”. “It is a wonderful sense of 'belonging' -that there are people out there happy to help you out.” (Fisher, 19/05/11, Lifelong Learning Blog) On the CSU forums students ask for help and often receive many replies or simply post information they think others will be interested in -collaboration in practice indeed! Having experienced it both at work and at CSU now, I truly appreciate the support and the ‘camaraderie’ which, to me, is an unexpected benefit of becoming a TL.

As an Early Years teacher, I constantly use evidence to inform my planning and teaching practice. From Priscilla Curran (22/03/11, Topic 2 Subforum) I learnt a valuable point. “I do think teacher-librarains (sic) today need to be taking the lead, and using evidence-based practice (Todd 2003) to inform principals (and the rest of the school) about the differences they are making, and can continue to make, to student learning. As Oberg (2006) points out teacher librarians need to "work to advance school goals" and show the principal how they are doing so. To me, this is a key way to gain and maintain principal support.” I hadn’t seen a connection between evidenced based practice and principal support, but I do now!

Now, at the conclusion of ETL401, I have a much better understanding of the intricacies of the TL role. While my examination of the Standards broadened my understanding of the role of the TL, my research made me realise not only the enormity but also the importance of the role of the TL in implementing an IL program. I now understand the TL must be proactive and has to be not only someone the principal wants to support, but somebody the staff wants to collaborate with or the effective implementation of an IL program will not occur.

I can't believe how much hard work is involved in doing an assignment! When Jordan was home form Uni last Easter he commented that he didn't know what all the fuss was. He said he and his friends wrote an essay in a week, unlike me, who took about 5 weeks of constant work to complete the last assignment! I did point out it was 30 years since my last essay, it didn't seem to make him any more sympathetic though!

I am beginning to realise what a wonderful network it is belonging to a group of TLs. One of the Librarians at my school just emailed us all this link of the Draft IL Framework for Wales. It was just published in March 2011. I really like their definition of IL:

They have adopted the definition by CLIP (2004) "Information literacy is knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner."

The whole document is easy to read - very user friendly. If you are keen to have a look here is the link:

http://library.wales.org/information-literacy/national-information-literacy-framework/

For some reason the link doesn't seem to work while I am on the 'editing page' of the blog. Hopefully it will when it's published. If not just copy and paste it onto a word documnet and it should be fine.

I don't start my job as TL until August, but already helpful people in the TL network are emailing me authors who are visiting Singapore in the next 12 months. It is a wonderful sense of 'belonging' -that there are people out there happy to help you out. I am also lucky enough to be moving into a wonderful team of people at my school. I can't wait!